Posted
by
timothy
on Saturday October 08, 2011 @01:27PM
from the mandatory-attendance-including-your-fingers dept.

First time accepted submitter Boogaroo writes "The Washington County school district in Florida has placed fingerprint scanners at the entrance to Chipley High School. They've also made a decision to run an alternate trial by placing the scanners on buses since most kids in the district ride buses every day. Since the beginning the fingerprinting, attendance is up, but not everyone is in agreement that the costs and risks are worth the attendance boost." Aren't there simpler and less-creepy ways to count kids, like looking at empty desks?

"Aren't there simpler and less-creepy ways to count kids, like looking at empty desks?"
Are you suggesting that teachers should actually get to know the kids in their classes so that they can recognize when someone isn't there? How dare you. Think of the children. I suppose next you will be saying that it is ok for teachers to talk to students outside of class or even be friends on facebook! If we allow this sort of outrageous behavior our kids may have adult figures in their lives that are actually worth looking up to!

The US Supreme Court has found on at least two [justia.com] occasions [justia.com] that collecting fingerprints constitutes a search, and that the government must therefor produce probable cause before being allowed to do so.

Especially when you consider that for kids under the age of 16, attendance at High School is required by law, they are now in the ridiculous position of requiring a search without probable cause for failing to break the law.